This book had a decent storyline and was reasonably suspenseful but that is about all i can say on the good side of things. There were WAY to many players in this game, names mentioned as a side note, an entirely strange side about what one can guess was an abusive or stalker ex of the main detective that had no relevance and went no where, side phone calls that the main character was nervous or afraid of for some reason that also went no where. It was complicated to follow with all the names and side stories that went no where. I also found the book spends so much time focused on the 2 main couples and doesnt really build the character of the person responsible for the death. The book wasnt very cohesive and the ending was very rushed and anticlimactic. I likely will not read the rest of this series unless it vastly improves.

Detective Jessie Black is on a missing persons case in Scotland. How has the disappearance of Shannon linked to an old case of another young girl.
I really enjoyed this book and am definitely looking forward to book two. This first instalment gives you some hints towards a darker back story of Jessie Black which leaves the reader intrigued. It’s always fantastic to read the first in a new series particularly one like this which keeps you gripped from the first page!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC
#NetGalley #Heartlands

I struggled with this book. I started to read it and got a little way through it and abandoned it. Perhaps I was not concentrating enough. A week later I revisited the book and this time I persevered. Within the first few chapters I was confused again – far too many characters to keep track of and then to add to the confusion we have a twenty year gap in two separate story lines. In the historic timeline we learn that two schoolboys raped and murdered a beautiful little girl, they were tried and found guilty. In the later timeline we find that Shannon, a schoolgirl goes missing and DI Jessie Blake is called in to investigate. Clearly there are similarities.

In all honesty it took me a long time to settle into the book and have a clear perspective on who was who which really coloured my opinion on the book. Also, there just seemed so many characters who did little or nothing to add to the drama. Neither can I say I was shocked at the outcome. That said, I did quite like the character of Jessie.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

So most people who know me know I love a good detective series and am always on the lookout to add new ones to my list.

Initially I must admit I found the book a bit hard to follow as to who was who, the book was set both in present day and in 1996 where we see the body of Sophie Nicholl who disappeared on her way home from school, we follow the trial of her two classmates, both boys who raped and murdered her and buried her in a shallow grave.

Roll on 20 years and Shannon Ross disappears, she could be twins with Sophie Nicholl, a lot of disappearance rings true with what happened to Sophie, people from the past who were involved in that case turn up including her brother, Tom Nicholl who has vowed to never let the boys who killed his sister live in peace albeit not knowing the true identity, he has not given up hope and when he hears of Shannon's disappearance, he feels he needs to be around.

DI Jessie Blake is the lead detective and she is at a loss, she is also hiding something from her past, hiding from I am presuming her ex-husband who she knows has been recently been released from prison, I'm looking forward to some more back story on that which I'm sure will evolve as the series develops.

So many lies and secrets in such a small town in the Scottish highlands, all come to the fore, can Blake get to the truth and get justice for the Ross's?

Overall a good kick off to what I feel is a promising series in the making, I'm looking forward to more back story on the various characters. I'll be keeping an eye out for the 2nd one!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3 stars

The reader knows from the outset who killed the teenage girl named Sophie. They then learn what happened to them.

Twenty years later, another young woman named Shannon Ross goes missing. Detective Jessie Blake is assigned to the investigation. She has a secret in her past.

The writing in this book was good, but the plotting left something to be desired. The transitions were poorly done. The way the story skipped around was disorienting. There wasn't a clue that the book skipped ahead twenty years. I wasn't even sure of the ages of the characters until little clues were given as I read along. There were too many characters, so the book felt cluttered. I'd say that Kerry Watts has potential, but I wish someone had told her about her plotting problems. I wish I had learned more about Jessie Blake.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read and review.

I received this fantastic book via Netgalley.

I found it compelling, addictive, surprising at times and overall a great story very well told. I look forward to reading number 2 in the series.

If you enjoy a police drama where the plot twists and turns in a shocking but credible manner and keeps you guessing all the way through then you'll love Heartlands.

A tense and well written novel.

The moment I read the blurb I knew this was something that I really wanted to read. The story itself is well executed and the characters are interesting and full of life.
I would recommend this for sure!

Really enjoyed this book, slow to begin with but once it gets going it’s a cracking read. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series and finding out how the characters develop

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read

Heartlands by Kerry Watts is the first book of a series centred on DI Jessie Blake. This is a fast paced whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end, as the suspects are not only numerous, but shrouded in secrecy. This is a novel that will pull you in and will not let go.

Teenager Shannon Ross has gone missing from her small town in the Scottish Highlands. The case exhibits some eerie parallels to the disappearance, rape and murder of Sophie Nicoll over twenty years before, and both incidents are explored in an alternating timeline. As the reader tries to make connections between the two crimes, it becomes apparent that there is more to this small town and its inhabitants than it would first appear.

Investigating the disappearance of Shannon Ross is the first case on which DI Jessie Blake takes the lead, proving herself more than capable for the task. DI Blake is a character that I look forward to following as the series progresses. I enjoyed the teaser of a back story relating to her personal circumstances.

This is a gripping mystery that held my attention and stoked my curiosity throughout. A well written and enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Overall: Totally captivating and addictive read. I loved this book! There are two storylines. One routed in the past about a brutally raped and murdered school girl and her young killers as they face trial and juvenile detention. One in the present, a missing school girl, Shannon, baring all the similarities of the case from the past - or so it seems. Di Jessie Blake leads the investigation, along with DC Dylan Logan. What a great team they make! Jessie is clever and driven (newly promoted, and young!), Dylan is the sweetest, he’s family orientated, and a dedicated cop. Together they piece together the puzzle to Shannon’s disappearance and uncover the many lies that inhabit this small, seemingly quiet town in Scotland. Kerry has created a well paced, riveting story that had me totally mesmerised from the first page. This has to be on your 2019 TBR list! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

I so enjoyed this book the storyline pull s you in from page 1 was very gripped and so love the policewoman jessie a girl goes missing everyone of them has secrets and one has a very big one and so liked how author put it all together if you like a good twist this for you so cant wait for book 2 so recommend

15 year old Shannon disappears. As the search for her progresses, Inspector Jessie Blake finds that more than one person in the small Scottish community has something to hide

I felt this book was reasonably enjoyable but it was over complicated with lots of things happening at once which made it feel quite disjointed. I am interested in finding out more about Jessie's back story though.

I found this book a bit complicated & hard to get into but glad I stuck with it as it did turn into an enjoyable read.

Sorry but I couldn't get into this book, didn't grab me and I found there were too many characters to remember.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The prologue had me hooked, very well written and descriptive. Following the murder of a girl named Sophie. However by Chapter two the influx of characters and plots becomes confusing and difficult to follow. I tried to get through as much as I could however it started becoming so difficult that I had to go back and re read names to know who they are in relation to the story.

This book has a great story and if it had carried on the way the prologue had started then it would have been a 5 star book. It's very well written I just feel there's too many characters introduced far too fast, which makes it hard to follow.

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this book*

I'd like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I started this book and read about 25% of it but unfortunately I couldn't read further. I wanted to like it as the premise seemed interesting but it didn't capture my interest

Unfortunately i couldn't finish this book. I found the story confusing and there were too many characters with not enough time spent invested in who they were. The story jumped from character to character without warning and i found it cliched and hurried.

A gripping read from start to finish. A shocking rape and murder of a young girl, Sophie, 20 years previously committed by two young boys certainly grabbed my attention. Set in Scotland, fast forward to present day and a young girl has gone missing. . DI Jessie Blake is in charge of the investigation, a great character, who I can't wait to read more about.. Several characters were weaved into this intriguing plot which provided a whole host of suspects. A great read with lies, secrets, deceit betrayals and loss. Can't wait for the next in series.